Actor Nicholas Cage has revealed that he begged his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, for a role in the legendary filmmaker’s The Godfather Part III. Cage has starred in a lengthy list of films over the years, some exceptionally acclaimed and others less so. Arguably the most significant moment of the 57-year-old’s career came in 1996, when he took home the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of wayward alcoholic Ben Sanderson in Mike Figgis’ hit, Leaving Las Vegas.

In addition to his lengthy acting resume and Oscar glory, Cage has the good fortune of being related to Coppola. Over the years, Coppola has proven that he’s one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. This was particularly the case throughout the 1970s, when he was responsible for highly acclaimed films like The Conversation, The Godfather Part 1&2, and Apocalypse Now. While Coppola’s glory within this decade is undisputed, later decades brought periods of uncertainty in his work, and his sole collaboration with Cage – 1986’s Peggy Sue Got Married – is hardly hailed as a masterpiece. By the early 1990s, Coppola faced financial difficulty and decided to deliver a third and final installment in the Godfather franchise.

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According to IndieWire, the cast of Coppola’s The Godfather: Part III could have been a little different had uncle Francis seen things differently. During a recent actors’ roundtable discussion that Cage attended, the Pig star recounted the somewhat embarrassing story of how he’d begged Coppola for the chance to play Vincent Mancini, the grown-up son of James Caan’s Sonny character. Unfortunately for Cage, Coppola wasn’t overly convinced that his nephew was right for the role. As Cage explained:

“This is a very embarrassing answer to your question, OK, because it involves family. So Uncle [Francis Ford Coppola] was doing ‘Godfather III,’ and I said, ‘I really think I ought to be in your movie, Uncle. I really think it’s a good idea if you would cast me. I think I could play this part.’ He was going to cast Andy Garcia, and I said, ‘But I just see myself more as James Caan’s son, and he’s playing Sonny’s son. He’s not playing Michael’s son. He’s Sonny’s son. I just feel a little more James Caan.’ It just wasn’t going to happen. Nope, not going to happen. So that was a movie I didn’t get let in that I really wanted to be in. There.”

Ultimately it appeared that Coppola made the right decision, as the role went to Garcia, who went on to snag an Oscar nomination for his portrayal. The Godfather: Part III wasn’t particularly well-received, and to this day, many Godfatherfans sneer at the idea of it being part of what is otherwise considered a perfect set of films. The film was recently recut, with a limited theatrical and 4K Blu-Ray release. This time around, the response was slightly more encouraging for Coppola, but the film still lacks much of the intrigue and charm that made the first two entries such an indelible part of the history of cinema.

Despite its sole Oscar nomination for Garcia’s work, Coppola’s casting didn’t escape critical scrutiny, primarily because he cast his then 19-year-old daughter Sofia in the role of Michael Corleone’s daughter, Mary. Though Sofia would become a respected, Oscar-winning filmmaker in her own right, her portrayal of Mary is often cited as one of the single worst things about The Godfather: Part III. Cage may be embarrassed that he wasn’t cast in a film made by his uncle, but in the end, it does seem that Coppola made the right choice, as Garcia was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise unnecessary film.

Source: IndieWire

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Mike Jones
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Mike Jones is an author, screenwriter, world traveller and cinephile. His work has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, and he’s also a Berlinale Talents alumnus. Cinema has always moved him in a big way and aside from having seen The Talented Mr Ripley more times than any other living person, he maintains a pretty darn healthy physical media collection. His favourite filmmakers include: Jordan Peele, David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Leigh, Steven Spielberg, the Dardenne Brothers, Noah Baumbach, Michael Haneke, Barry Jenkins and Andrea Arnold. Often jet-lagged, Mike once turned down a certain A-list celebrity’s offer to join them for a night of partying after a strange encounter in an airport.

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